Nephoscope



May 6, 1947.

W. K. COBURN NEPHOSCOPE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 2, 1946 u INVENTOR 1 a, 1 11mm ATTORNEY y 1947. w. K. COBURN 2,420,227

NEPHoscoPfi Filed March 2, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY May 6, 1947. w. K. COBURN NEPHOSCOPE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 2, 1946 INVENTOR Kit-n 1 f m 2 ATTORNEY Patented May 6, 1947 signor to .Serdex, Inc., Boston, ltlass a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 2, 1946, Serial No. 651,661

4 Claims.

1 My invention relates to meteorology "and meteorological instruments. More particularly, the invention comprises a nephoscope, that is .tosay, an instrument useful in gathering data with re- 2 Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation with portions broken away to show the construction,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in end elevation from the rear of the nephoscope,

sp'ect "to cloud movement and altitudes. 5 Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the It often happens that atmospheric :conditions 8 0 the 11813110800116, and aloft differ markedly from those at the ground g- 8 s a V ew in front elevation. and that a comparison of the two will result in In the preferred form of the invention shown information extremely useful in predicting fun e drawings. the 116131108001"? is Organized ture weather conditions. Hitherto meteorologi- 10 about a handle or support I0 shaped ver much cal instruments for ascertaining this type :of .inlike a large automatic pistol and made of metal, formation have been objectionably bulk-y'andrep s W d, or y other suitable materialquire highly trained personnel foritheir successful I p r t mold the handle om a plastic Since operation. it saves weight to do so. The pistol Hi has a The most important object of my invention hand grip portion 12 provided with an internal is to provide :a small, light .neph'oscop'e capable chamber M- in which four batteries [6 are disof use by ordinarily intelligent persons without posed. The breech is formed by a hollow casing particular training in meteorology. I8 integral with the grip I2 and supporting ad- .Another object of the invention is to combine jacent its rear end a small compass 29. in one easily portable instrument means for de- Within the casing 18 is mounted a timer which, termining with accuracy such data concerning in the form shown in the drawing, comprises atmospheric conditions as cloud height, cloud vea simple glow tube relaxation oscillator. The locity and direction of travel, wind direction, air circuit is shown in Fig, 3 and will be recognized temperature, and dew point. by those skilled in the art as a conventional An important feature of the invention resides oscillator circuit deriving its power from the batin a pistol-shaped handle or support upon which teries l6 contained in the grip l2. A small neon is mounted a folding sighting scale and a timing glow tube or bulb 22 is mounted within the casing device arranged to produce a series of impulses in line with a small hole 24 formed in the at uniform intervals. Theoperator-may time the rear of the casing beneath the compass 2%. A progress of a cloud of known altitude across the condenser 29 is contained in the casing l8 disscale, and obtain from tables attached to the posed beneath the neon tube 22, and a poteninstrument the velocity of the cloud. tiometer 2t is secured to the breech casing IS The nephoscope of my invention is not only a beneath the upper wall thereof which is apervaluable instrument "for professional meteoroltured to receive'the potentiometer shaft 25. The ogists but by reason of its compactness and light latter is slotted at the top so that the potenweight and ease of operation may be used to tiometer may be adjusted by a screw driver. considerable advantage'by woodsmen, yachtsmen, The pistol it is provided with a trigger 30 and aviators, etc. a trigger guard 32 of conventional form. The The several objects and features of my 'inventrigger 38 operates two switches disposed within tion will be more readily understood and appre- 40 the breech casing [8. One of the switches 28 ciated from the following detailed description of controls the oscillator circuit. A resistor 34 is a preferred embodiment thereof selectedfor puralso mounted within the breech casing l8 and poses of illustration and shown in the accomconnected into the circuit of the oscillator, as panying drawings, in which: shown in Fig. 3. Aswitch controlled by a button Fig. 1 is a plan view of a nephoscope con- 36 projecting through the side of the breech structed in'accordan'ce with my invention, casing 18 is connected across the resistor 34 so Fig. '2 isa'view in side elevation, that the latter is normally shunted through the Fig. 3 is a schematic-wiring diagram, switch. Fig. 4 is a view in longitudinal cross-section When the switch 28 is closed, the condenser 29 through the upper portion ofthe nephoscope, will first become charged through the potentiometer 26 until its voltage equals the discharge voltage of the neon bulb 22. The condenser then discharges through the bulb and produces a visible flash. The timing of the flashes depends upon the values of the condenser and the potentiometer and can be adjusted by manipulation of the shaft 25. The adjustment will preferably be such that the bulb will flash once every second. While the circuit as shown is simple and eflicient, it is only representative of any one of a large number of types of oscillators Which could be employed; a vacuum tube oscillator or a clockwork mechanism might also be used. Moreover, the type of impulse used is not critical, and an audible signal might be substituted for the visible flash.

The switch 33 and the resistor 34 are provided to make it possible for the operator to check the condition of the batteries 16 which supply the power for the oscillator circuit. After a long period of use, the output of the batteries will be reduced and such reduction will eventually result in changing the time constant of the oscillator circuit. The value of the resistor 36 is such that when the switch 36 is open, the potentiometer at zero, and the trigger 30 is pulled, the oscillator will not produce a flash unless the batteries E are supplying a voltage hi h enough to pro" duce flashes at the proper frequency. When this takes place, the batteries should be replaced.

The pistol i8 is provided with a barrel portion 46 which serves as the casing for a flashlight including a pair of conventional flashlight cells 52 and lens 24 set into the end of the barrel 30.

The electric circuit for the flashlight includes the cells 42, a switch 38 mounted in the breech l8,

and a second switch (not shown) connected inseries with the switch 38 and controlled by the trigger 36. When the switch 38 is opened, movement of the trigger 30 has no effect on the flashlight, but when the switch 38 is closed, the trig er 30 controls the flashlight which may be used as a blinker gun or signalling lamp.

The bottom portion of the barrel 6B is recessed as shown at 56 to receive a sling psychrometer 46 which comprises a wet bulb thermometer 4B and a dry bulb thermometer 59, both mounted on a flat support 52 and fastened to the end of the barrel M! by means of a chain 54. When it is desired to take a reading from the psychrometer, it is removed from the recess 55, and the operator swings the handle in an are which whirls the psychrometer 16 through the air. It is then possible to obtain both dry bulb and wet bulb readings.

A flat transparent sighting scale as provided with transverse marking B2 to define tenths of the entire length of the scale is pivotally mounted on an ear 64 which in turn is pivotally mounted on the end of the barrel 40. The scale Ed is rigid and may be swung about the car 64 and folded flat on the top of the barrel 39 where it is held underneath a shoulder 65 formed. at the rear of the barrel Ml. Also the scale may be revolved and extended at right angles to the barrel 463 as shown clearly in Fig. '7.

The sling psychrometer 16 is used in the conventional manner to obtain air temperature and wet bulb temperature readings. Along one side of the barrel 40 I secure a folding case I!!! to the inside of which is secured a chart (not shown) which gives dew point values for various values of air temperature and wet bulb temperature. I may also include in the chart a table for finding relative humidity. The compass 20 is used to 4 determine wind direction both at the ground and aloft.

The altitude of the base of cumulus or cumiliform clouds lies at the intersection of lines representing the dry adiabatic rate and the dew point lapse rate, and corresponds to the following equation:

in which i1 is dry bulb temperature and i2 is wet bulb temperature. I therefore provide a second chart from which the cloud base altitude can be determined after the difference between t1 and t2 has been ascertained from the psychrometer 46. This chart is a simple graph of temperature difference plotted against altitude and may also be enclosed in the case 10.

With the foregoing information at hand, the nephoscope can be used to determine cloud velocity, and thereby the velocity of wind aloft. For this purpose I provide a sling 85 fastened to the butt of the handle [0 and providing a loop adapted to go around the neck of the operator. To determine the velocity of the cloud, that is a cumiliform cloud, the operator slips the loop 85 over his head and then taking hold of the handle ID by the grip 12 extends it directly over his head toward the zenith. When a cloud approaches either end of the scale the operator pushes the trigger 30, which sets the oscillator in operation, and then counts the number of flashes to determine the time it takes the cloud to traverse the whole or any selected portion of the length of the sighting scale 60. I provide another chart, or table, including an ordinate graduated in terms of altitude, an abscissa graduated in time, and a series of velocity lines extending from the origin. This chart may be enclosed in a second folding casing 12 attached to the barrel 4!] on the side opposite the chart casing 16. The graduations representing time are of course related to the length of the scale 60. Consequently the operator is enabled to determine the velocity of the cloud. The sling 85 provides means for fixing the distance between the observer's eye and the sighting scale 60. Variation in this distance will effect the accuracy of the instrument, although it should be pointed out that the operator may sight at a cloud which is moving to one side or the other of the vertical provided the angle between the cloud and the vertical is not substantially more than 15. Fig. 7 illustrates the use of the nephoscope for obtaining the velocity of a cloud 82. The figure is, necessarily, out of proportion.

By using the nephoscope at intervals, the operator may observe changes in the atmospheric conditions which may be correlated according to well-known principles and make it possible to predict future weather conditions. The entire instrument is small and compact, easily stowed, and of little weight. It thus lends itself well to inclusion as equipment on yachts, camping expeditions, etc. Furthermore it can be cheaply built to provide amateur meteorologists with a practical and useable instrument at comparatively low cost.

Various changes and modifications will suggest themselves. Although the pistol-shaped handle is quite convenient, its shape is not critical. Another convenient shape would be that of the standard Navy blinker gun. As previously stated, any suitable method or apparatus for obtaining timed Visible or audible impulses may be substituted for the glow tube oscillator.

Having now described and illustrated one preferred form of the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Nephoscope which comprises an elongated handle of pistol-shape, a rigid scale pivotally secured to said handle adjacent the barrel end and arranged either to be folded flat against said handle or to be extended at a predetermined angle thereto, a glow discharge tube secured in said handle adjacent the grip end thereof and arranged to be visible simultaneously with the extended scale, an oscillating circuit having elements thereof secured within said handle and including said glow discharge tube, and means for controlling said oscillating circuit.

2. Nephoscope comprising an elongated handle of pistol-shape having a trigger adjacent the grip end thereof, a rigid scale secured to said handle adjacent the other end thereof to extend at a predetermined angle thereto, a glow discharge oscillator within said handle adjacent the grip end thereof and arranged to be visible simultaneously with the extended scale, and a switch controlling said oscillator and actuated by said trigger.

3. Nephoscope comprising an elongated handle of pistol-shape having a trigger adjacent the grip end thereof, a rigid scale secured to said handle adjacent the other end thereof to extend at a predetermined angle thereto, and means mounted on said handle and controlled by said trigger for producing a series of timed impulses, said impulses being observable simultaneously with the extended scale.

4. Nephoscope which comprises an elongated handle of pistol-shape having a trigger adjacent the grip end thereof, a rigid scale pivotally secured to said handle adjacent the barrel end thereof and arranged either to be folded fiat against said handle or to be extended at a predetermined angle thereto, means mounted in said handle adjacent the grip end thereof and controlled by said trigger for producing a series of visible timed impulses, said impulses being observable simultaneously with the extended scale, and means secured to said handle for fixing the distance between said scale and the eye of an operator.

WILLIAM KNOWLTON COBURN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

